appetite

obesity or overweight belly

New signaling pathway provides clues to obesity

A Vanderbilt University-led research team has discovered a molecular “rheostat” in the brain’s appetite control center that may provide new insights into obesity, which is at epidemic levels in this country.

Receptor discovery shines new light on appetite regulation

A receptor in the brain that regulates appetite and body weight has now been found in L cells, key regulatory cells in the gut, providing the pharmaceutical industry with a novel drug target for both obesity and diabetes, a Vanderbilt University-led research team reported this week.

Receptor’s role in nutrition brain circuitry

New findings point to brain circuitry that communicates about the body’s nutritional status and regulates how nutrients are mobilized.